A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

First-time buyers of teak furniture often wonder how best they can preserve the great condition of their outdoor furniture. They have invested quite a sum in order to get hold of their beautiful teak patio chairs, dining tables and loungers. Indeed, it can be nerve-wracking to simply leave them outdoors all year round. With changing seasons and unpredictable weather, they don’t know how the teak patio chairs or furniture pieces would fare.

If you are one of the lucky homeowners who were able to acquire a wonderful teak furniture piece, then you need not worry much. Your outdoor furniture has inherent amazing qualities that don’t require much protection. It’s practically maintenance-free. You can leave it outdoors and it can survive extreme shifts in the weather.

Caring for your teak patio chairs and furniture pieces depends largely on your preference. You should know that in its natural form, teak wood has a honey color. If you leave the furniture outdoors exposed over a period of time, it will develop a silver gray sheen. This silver patina is only a cosmetic change brought about by age and exposure and it does not in any way affect the quality of the teak wood.

If you want to maintain the honey color of your teak patio chairs and tables then you need to apply some teak sealer. Teak sealer offers UV protection to keep your teak patio furniture from undergoing color transformation because of constant sun exposure. Aside from this, it has fungicidal properties that create a layer of protection to prevent the growth of molds and mildew with water pooling on the surface of your teak pieces.

Once you applied a teak sealer to your teak patio chairs and tables, only a few care and maintenance steps can be made. You can wash your teak furniture with soap and water to remove dirt and soil. If you’re overprotective of your pricey investment, you can also buy some furniture covers to appease your mind.

While buying camping equipment, don’t squeeze on costs. You might land up with a nasty surprise during your camp. Some of the things that can happen, is that there might not be enough space, or if it is raining, rain is coming in, or at night the moisture on the floors seeps in and makes every one uncomfortable. The pleasure of camping out erased by such small things. Therefore focus on getting a relatively more expensive one, and instead of planning for just 4, plan for a 5 seater. Always buy one with more room than is necessary at the moment.

One of the worst parts of returning from a trip is to clean the equipment that was used. Clothes, shoes, cutlery, kitchen aids, camping tarpaulins, pegs, zips, the air sleeping bags, the boots, the stores you took with you and so on.

It is tough on everyone, but there is no other way, except to take care: remember always that the equipment you have bought is expensive, and even more expensive to buy a substitute.

So get to it, and start putting things back in order.

After you return from your camping trip, make sure that you layout the camping out in the sun for some time; if there are some dirty areas, clean them with a good soft detergent, and put them out to dry. Otherwise, the equipment will stink, and rot will set in. And that would put paid to your expensive equipment.

Check the sleeping bags, and after them inside out, leave them out in the sun for them to dry quickly. Check the holding ropes of the tent. Replace those require replacement. Don’t scringe on small expenses in replacing them.

If the floor sheet is not in good shape, clean it properly and lay it out to dry completely.

Check out all the equiment: portable stove, grill, cutlery and crockery. Even your sleeping bags. Clean each one of them thoroughly and then pack them in proper cartons.

Wash clean and after drying them, put away those extra equipment such as hiking boots and other survival equipment.

By following the above steps you would be able to maintain your expensive camping equipment in good condition for a long time. Otherwise, your investment will go down the drain.

The next time you go out again you will thank yourself that you did the maintenance that was required by cleaning, drying, and keeping your camping equipment in good order. No seepages, no wet grounds, stoves in good working order, clean and good looking hiking boots that don’t require attention will be the bonuses for you.

The better look after the equipment, the more it will last.

How would you survive if the end of the world were to happen on December 21 2012 as many theorists are predicting. If you are one of the lucky survivors what do you do next? You have survived an earth-changing event but now how do you actually live?

Failing to plan is planning to fail. The gift of hindsight. Would have, could have, should have. These are all the clichés that you could be espousing on December 22 2012. It would be wiser to consider possible outcomes should the Doomsday predictions prove to be true. Simple ideas such as packing a survival bag will not cost much. Pregnant women do this simple little task before impending childbirth. So if there is to be a cataclysmic event of biblical proportions to descend upon us would it not be prudent to prepare, just to be on the safe side.

There are organizations that provide Wilderness courses that teach how to live off the land, how to create fire, plant and sew your own harvest. All the things that we take for granted in our every day living have now to be totally forgotten and we need to go back to the very beginning and think about starting all over. Move to a higher altitude and build a dome-shaped living structure. Start your own allotment where you can grow your own fruit and vegetables. Stockpile seeds and plants of all varieties, canned goods, and dried food – think ahead.

It is inevitable that all communications and power sources will be non-existent so invest in gas-fired cooking facilities, heaters etc. Fill your wardrobes with warm clothing to survive the coldest of winters. Blankets, sleeping bags, socks could well be the currency of the future as there will be no financial or banking organizations remaining, which is not necessarily a bad thing based on the current world economic situation.

Fill your shelves with books and board games as it is likely that there will be no TV or radio or internet. A musical instrument or two would not go astray. A well -stocked first aid kit is of extreme importance and again your book supply should back up any requirements that you may foresee. Stockpile potable water supplies and include water purifiers in your inventory. Maps, compass, implements such as shovels, pitchforks all become imperative. Weapons will be necessary as you may revert to being a hunter and gatherer.